Simone Fattal

Simone Fattal's artworks are situated in a space that lies at the intersection of representation and abstraction. Her oeuvre encompasses a wide range of mediums, including watercolour paintings, collages, and sculptures made from clay and bronze. Drawing from a diverse array of themes, such as war and conflict, landscape painting, ancient religious traditions and mythologies, Sufi poetry, and the fragility of the human body, Fattal's clay work is marked by an exploration of non-figurative forms, serving as a reflection of her fascination with history and contemporary culture. After fleeing from the Civil War, she settled in California where she established the Post-Apollo Press, a publishing house devoted to innovative and experimental literary works. Fattal returned to art in 1988 and produced ceramic sculptures after attending the Art Institute of San Francisco. Through her work, she delves into the effects of displacement and migration, as well as the political dimensions of archaeology and excavation. Through the use of recurring symbols and forms, and judiciously incorporating detail to render her figures discernible, Fattal's works construct environments that feel as though they have briefly emerged from the depths of history and memory.